New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-30
TERRIBLE DEATH OLA THIEF.
DAsHING HEADLoNG rHRoUaHA WINDOW.


| TO EsCAPE-HIs IGNoBLE RECORD.
Picture No. l.651 In the Rogues' Gallery taken out
yesterday and the word dead written opposite
that number In the gallery index Tue picture that
OF repusvc looking young and the back OF the
card was written. Jim McDevitt. burglar and sneak
tnief with account OF his age, weight, height and
other items OF description McDevitt unintentonally
killed himself yesterday while trying escape from the
building No. Whte-st, and the police had no further
use for his photograph.
Weisl Brothers. cloak manufacturers, have their work
rooms on upper floors of the wbest building and have
their salesrooms the second floor partition shuts
off front office for the members of the firm from the
clerks on the 0oor. There several safes and
desks In the Office and the would be tempting
pace for thief to work in. Max Recht, young and
undersized German. is employed porter In the place
He opened the rooms at yesterday and began to
dust them After busting the the second floor,
he went up stairs to put there In order for the
cloak makers Shortly before o'clock he heard suspi
cious noise in the Office and went down to investigate
There he founi McDevtt. who was a stranger TO him,
runmaging about 10 OF the desks.
What you doing here T. Recht inquired sharply.
MsDe7itt sprang away from the desk and started to
out OF the Office, but Recht closed the plate glass
door In the partition. and held It shut lie the
outside Of the Office aud the thief inside. They both
ugged at toe door, McDeyit trying TO get out and Recht
trying to prevent him. clerk entered the saesroOms
and the porter said to him:
"a
The clerk all the way the Leonard Street station
before he could find policeman Meanwhile b. Weisl,
OF the Arm arrived ani helped the porter hold the
door. They could hear the Gagged thief cursing the
other side OF the partition. McDevitt pounded furiousy
on the glass panel Of the door and shouted:
Let me out OF here, will you"
"No" shouted his captors.
Won't heyi" he said, scratching the glass with q
knife, I'll show you what I'll do" He then went from
the door toward the big pategla window OF the oce
as he nen led to get out nat way Other clerks were
help capture the thief. The door was opened and the
men rushed in McDevitt turned on them with the
aud overpowered and Mr.. weisl took away the knife
after Recht had received slight cut the hand Then
McDeytt lay stll and appeared TO have given up the
hgbt for Ill ety That was only rlise on his part to
door closed and ham taken of him he sprang
TO his feet aud made dash at the window He started
through the big head first The thick glass broke
let his shoulders aud the upper part OF his body
through the window but his abdomen caught the
held fast McDevtt made one desperate effort to free
himself but the As, s cut aesp into ss BODY making
The men IN the office pulled him back TO the floor, but
lie died IN a few minutes Policeman Harges. who had
run tho police station expectation OF csptur-
Ing the thief reached the oce Just in time to see bun
die. On the body OF the dead thief were found S3O
gold watch and chain gold scarf pln pair OF sleeve
Detective sergeants Crowley and Mcguire. who were
from Headquarters to look az the body before IL
sent 70 the Morgue. easily identified as that OF Nc
Dewitt HI. left hand still showed OF the bullet
which Detective wae shot through It several
In the crowd outside the bulldog the detectives noticed
a thief known Rocky" who believed to have
been a companion OF McDevitt Rocky " was arrested
and locked up under the OF John Smith, but he
would not say anything. The police thought he was
watching outside the building while McDevitt sneaked
in 10 steal
McDevit was twenty-four years OF age and lived at
No. PIG Canal st. Al one time he was bookblnder
lie had arrested number OF petty thefs he
fore he went TO New Haven O. steal clothing worth
$1,000 from Dooittes store on February T. 1856 His
companions In that burglary were Joe F" wilson and
III N PcrIns They surprised by the police and
captured but McDeyitt away after shooting at an
officer. lie caught In this city and sent back
10 Connecticut Having the 10 plead guilty he
sent 10 the Wetherfeld Prison for short term His
release occurred less than two months ago. Wilson got
about the time, and Is In jail at Toledo. for
participation IN masked burglary. McDoviti was q
nephew or Jimmy Ell ot the prize fighter. who was
kliei by Jerry Dunn In Chicago a few years ago.
brought before Justice Murray at the Tombs Police
After the details Of the attempted robbery had
b;cn heard officer 10 lgos testified that he called
the once. and he entered saw McDeyitt
siagger and fall IN the floor lie blood vel
ling FROM a wound in his abdomen and then down
for ambulance. When he reached the street
Officer kraher sgDallod to MIN arrest Rock, who
then walking away from the door OF the building.
Or way tho police station he said ho did not know
anything about the Attempted robbery: hut when ap-
peaed tell the Of the dead thief for the sake
mmunicsng with his friends lie said Fake me to
tho stih and I'll tell You" lie was taken TO
No II Whte-st. and when the cloth was
pulled of face OF the dead man he said that was
Jimmie McDeytt, he lives In Canalst
Justice Murray ordered that Rock stand committed
until after tue Inquest on tho body OF McDsvitt.